WorldCom Investigators Shift
Focus to Ousted CEO Ebbers

By

Jared Sandberg, Deborah Solomon and

Nicole Harris Staff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal

Updated July 1, 2002 12:01 a.m. ET

Investigators probing the accounting scandal at WorldCom Inc. are turning their attention to the company's recently ousted chief executive, Bernard J. Ebbers, to determine what role he may have played in the alleged fraud that has brought the giant telecom concern to its knees.

The focus on Mr. Ebbers comes as officials involved with a myriad of probes become increasingly convinced they will find evidence of improper accounting beyond the $3.8 billion that WorldCom disclosed last week will need to be restated. The...